What is that about:blank? We tell you everything in this guide on the blank page of Google Chrome.
We are going to explain the meaning of the about:blank page. In addition, we show you what its uses are in Google Chrome and the rest of the browsers. We also explain what happens when you type that address into your browser and press Enter. Everything you need to know about the URL about:blank you will find it here.
What does about:blank mean?
The URL about:blank is an internal browser address that loads a blank page. Or, put another way, it is a link that does not load anything in the browser.
When you enter this sequence of characters and press enter, the browser loads a completely empty page. The entire screen goes blank.
The direction about:blank is not only present in Google Chrome. Actually, it is a functionality, that of loading a completely empty page, universal to all browsers.
Another important detail is that this page is not the same as the one that appears when you open a new tab. Actually, the latter corresponds to the URL chrome://newtab and includes elements such as the search engine or the most visited pages.
About:blank and internal addresses vs. external addresses
This is a complete list with all the internal addresses of Google Chrome. Each of them executes a different action that does not need an Internet connection
The existence of an internal direction leads us to another relevant question. Could it be that browsers have many internal addresses? When we use this expression, we refer to URLs that execute actions of the web browser. Internal addresses differ from Internet domains in that they do not connect to the outside and do not require the Internet.
To understand it better, let’s look at a couple of samples:
- internal address. Example: about:blank. Action: Loads a blank page without the need for an Internet connection.
- external address. Example: Google is. Action: Connects to a server and requests a resource, in this case, the Google search engine.
It is clear, then, that browsers have internal URLs that execute actions. Without going any further, in Google Chrome, in addition to about:blankthere is a series of internal addresses What are you interested in knowing:
- chrome://chrome-urls – Shows all internal browser URLs.
- chrome://accessibility – Directs to the accessibility options.
- chrome://apps – Loads the list of applications that are installed in the browser.
- chrome://bookmarks – Displays the user’s bookmarks, corresponding to the loaded profile.
- chrome://components – Reveals what the browser components are.
- chrome://credits – Loads a list with all the licenses used to develop the browser.
- chrome://device-log – Lists browser errors and actions. It’s a record of everything that happens in Chrome.
- chrome://dino – Launches the Dino game that usually appears when there is no connection.
- chrome://downloads – Displays the downloads page.
- chrome://extensions – Acts as a shortcut to the Chrome extensions page.
- chrome://whats-new – Informs about the latest version installed.
These are just some of the internal addresses of Chrome, beyond the already mentioned _ about:blank . All other Chromium browsers, such as Microsoft Edge, also have an equivalent to these addresses. Typically, the string _chrome is replaced with the name of the browser. For example, edge://downloads.
In the case of Firefox , comes with internal addresses that have their own format. Without going further, about:config takes you to the browser’s advanced settings list, very similar to what the URL would be in Chrome chrome://flags.
What is about:blank used for in Chrome?
In a way, we have already explained to you what the about:blank address is for in Chrome. Its main function is to open a completely blank page.
The blank page (about:blank) can be used as the home page. This allows you to close any website by pressing the home button or enjoy a clean screen when opening the browser
However, in this section we suggest some uses that you can give to this address in your browser:
- Blank screen. If you want to make your PC screen blank, an interesting solution is to use about:blank. Then press the F11 key and make the empty page full screen.
- Minimize the impact on old equipment. Changing the new tab page to about:blank reduces resource consumption. It is a small change, since the content of the new tab is not too heavy either. However, if you usually open a lot of tabs that you don’t use later, this is an interesting idea.
- Use it as home page. It is also possible to set the about:blank address as the home page, with a similar effect to the above.
about:blank virus and other myths about this page
There are some false beliefs about the Chrome internal address about:blank. We deny them below:
- It only works in Chrome. This is false. Unlike other internal addresses, about:blank it is a universal URL of all browsers.
- It is only available on PC. The truth is that it is possible to load a blank page from any device. As we have said, all browsers support this URL. So Safari, Chrome and Edge in its versions for Android and iOS also enter into the equation.
- It’s a virus. Sometimes certain malicious programs have been detected that change the home page of the browser by the address about:blank, as we have previously proposed. However, this URL is not a virus itself, it is a function of the browser.
- cannot be deleted. This statement is indeed true. This is an internal browser URL that you can’t delete. It is there and you can use it whenever you want.
- it’s useless. Again, this is a good idea. The page that loads the URL about:blank it does absolutely nothing. She is empty, and after opening it, you can only close it.
- You can open it at any time. TRUE. Even if you’ve entered Chrome’s incognito mode, this URL is still available.